Animal husbandry – Milkers – Methods of milking
Patent
1997-01-28
1998-07-21
Yan, Ren
Animal husbandry
Milkers
Methods of milking
119 1403, A01J 500
Patent
active
057821992
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a device for automatic milking of animals, comprising inter alia one or more milking stalls provided with an entrance gate and an exit gate, a lying and walking area, a feeding and watering area, and an access gate which is provided with a first identification system coupled to a control system for controlling the device, which access gate can alternatingly clear a passage for an animal from the walking area to a milking stall or to the feeding and watering space.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Such devices are known inter alia from DE 3702465 in which a device is described wherein cows on the way from a walking stall to a feeding and drinking location are guided past a milking stall with an automatic milking device. The drawback of the known devices is that the limited capacity of the milking system limits the access to the feeding and drinking location, whereby cows which have left this feeding and drinking location can return to this area only after a long wait. These animals hereby become unsettled and cannot eat and drink sufficiently, whereby the supply of milk is adversely affected.
The object of the invention is to provide a device wherein cows which do not require milking or which cannot yet be admitted to the milking device always have free access to food or drink and wherein the cows for milking do not become disturbed during the wait for access to the milking stall.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a milking device wherein a waiting area is incorporated between the access gate and the entrance gate.
By arranging a separate waiting area in front of the milking stall the animals waiting for milking can be segregated, whereby the access gate is not blocked by waiting animals and the access to the feeding and watering space is not obstructed by waiting animals. Animals waiting to be milked are not disturbed by animals going to the feeding and watering space.
The invention also relates to a method for automatic milking of animals which under the influence of a control system are guided via an access gate to one of the milking stalls provided with an automatic milking device, wherein the animals are identified as milk-ripe animals by a first identification system placed in the access gate.
Such a method is known from the above stated DE 3702465, wherein it is expected that after the entrance to the milking stall has been opened the animals will walk directly to a milking stall of which the entrance gate has been opened.
A drawback to the known method is that it is always necessary to wait until the identified animal is in the milking stall and the stall is closed before the following animal can be admitted into the other milking stall. This is necessary since otherwise it is not certain which animal is being milked in which stall. It would then not be possible to record the milking data in the control system. This wait-time reduces the capacity of the device.
The invention has for its object to obviate this drawback in that before leaving the milking stall the animals are identified by a second identification system and the milking data recorded in the control system.
It is hereby possible for more than one animal to be present between the access gate and the milking stall, while the correct milking data associated with an animal is nevertheless always recorded in the control system.
The invention is elucidated hereinbelow on the basis of a description of an embodiment of a milking installation with which a herd of cows is milked automatically and with reference to a figure.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
The drawing figure is a schematic plan view of the milking device of the invention.
DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Shown in the figure is a schematic overview of the diverse areas in which a herd of free-ranging cows provided with identification means is accommodated during the day. The herd, which may consist of several dozen to more than 100 cows, normally occupies a lying and walking
REFERENCES:
patent: 4000718 (1977-01-01), Brown
patent: 5069160 (1991-12-01), Street et al.
Database WPI, Section PQ, Week 9131, Derwent Publications Ltd., London, GB, Class P14, AN 91-228403.
Ghatt Dave A.
Prolion B.V.
Yan Ren
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